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What I find sad (maybe disturbing) is that it's posing for its portrait while sitting atop of the trash bin!

It just occurred to me also that the design of this machine is very similar to a BZH, but with a different grille!

That was the best view I was able to get that day. My photography skills are very poor.. On this Aretino, The turntable nub is not removable. I'll have to check it again.
Harvey Kravitz

Retrograde wrote:What I find sad (maybe disturbing) is that it's posing for its portrait while sitting atop of the trash bin!

Harvey asked me to add some photos and details to his post.

Here is the bottom shot of the Aretino turntable. The spindle on the left is threaded. It fits in the nub.
Here is the right side up shot of the turntable. If this modification was not done at the factory, then a skilled craftsman did this. If this is a modification, it was done a very long time ago.

Thanks Kevin for your help. This clarifies things with the turn table. Has anyone else come across a modification like this on an odd spindle Columbia client machine?
Harvey Kravitz

Phonofreak wrote:Thanks Kevin for your help. This clarifies things with the turn table. Has anyone else come across a modification like this on an odd spindle Columbia client machine?
Harvey Kravitz

Yes, I have a United Symphony that had the odd spindle removed and a ¼" center post screwed into a threaded hole in the motor shaft. Not as elegant as this modification, because it completely removed the odd United spindle and I had to find a replacement turntable to return it to original. I can post a pic if you're interested.

Andreas

Ah, that's different from mine, yes. I thought the large part lifted off, but I see that is not the case.

I find this machine and the discussion very interesting as I have an interest in the client machines. Well, you really don't know where and when the modification was made, but certainly could have been done during the period of original use. If there are other Arentinos like this one, and the spindles are interchangeable, then I would say it was a factory modification. I have two Cirolas that have an unscrewable spindle; they are interchangeable from machine to machine. This strongly indicates it was done by Heinemann, the company that supplied the motors to Cirola, although why it was done I really don't know. Under European Machines, someone has posted a machine that has a rotating "spindle" but not the one for the platter.(http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... 4&start=10). You guys have a lot more experience than I, but there still seems to be lots of things not known, which to me makes this all the more interesting. Very nice and attractive machine.

Phonofreak wrote:Thanks Kevin for your help. This clarifies things with the turn table. Has anyone else come across a modification like this on an odd spindle Columbia client machine?
Harvey Kravitz

Harvey here's a picture of my late Aretino. It looks to be the same as yours. The large spindle is part of or attached to the turn table, it does not come off. In this case there is no modification to the spindle.

Larry Crandell

HisMastersVoice wrote:It just occurred to me also that the design of this machine is very similar to a BZH, but with a different grille!

I do not quite see that. My BZH has turned pilasters on the corners.

Perhaps most simple cases resemble one another; but that is about it, as far as I can tell.

Bill